Cane stripper and header.



PATBNTBD' DEG. 22, 1903.

H. H. MOHLER. CANE STRIPPBR AND HEADER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE a, 1901. f Y n zsHBB'Ts-SHBBT 1.

H0 MODEL.

TN: mams Pe'rsns oo. Mcm-uws.. wAsHmGrou. n. c.'

No. 747,462. PATENTED DBC. 22, 1903. H. H. MOHLER.

CANE STRIPPER AND HEADER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JUNE s, 1901.

No MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

V f I UNITED STATES Patented December 22', 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.A

CANE STRIPPER AND HEADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 747,462, dated December 22, i903- Application filed June 3, 1901.

. citizen of the United States, 'residin g at Knobnoster, in the county of Johnson and State of Missouri, have'invented a new and useful Cane Stripper and Header, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionl is an improved cane stripper and header for stripping the blades from the stalksvand cutting off the heads of sugarcane; and it consists in the peculiarconstruction and combination of devices hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure '1 is a side elevation of a cane stripper and headerconstructed in accordance With my invention.' Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of the same, taken on a plane indicated by the line a dof Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar viewon line b b of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail section taken' on'apla'ne indicated by the linee c of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective ,View showing a portion of the stripper. Fig. .7 is a detail side elevation of the stripper-head. Fig. 8 is an edge elevation of the same. Fig. 91s a detail perspective view of'one of the stripping-springs. Fig. 10 is a detail inverted perspective View of the casing therefor. Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line e e of Fig. 7. Fig 12 is a detail perspective view of a cylindrical casing for one of the spring stripping elements. Fig. 13 is a detail perspective view. of the carrier-chain. Fig. 14 is an inverted plan view showing the heading-knife, the adjustable bearing-plate, the adjustable sprocket-wheel, and a portion of the carrier-chain. Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line ff of Fig. l.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a suitable frame, which may be of any suitable construction. In the form of my invention here shown the construction of the' frame is as follows: On transversely-disposed feet 1 is secured a base-bar 2. Standards 3,

4, and 5 rise from the saidfeet lon one side of said base-bar. A longitudinally-disposed bar 6 isV secured on the upper ends'of 'the standards 3 4. One end of the said bar 6 exyard 5.

a series of arch-bars 26.

serai No. 63,017. (No moan.)

Vtends nearly to the standard 5. A bearingvplate 7 is secured on the upper endof the cutting edge 12, that projects beyond one side of the bar 6, asis shown in Figs. 2 and 14. A sprocket-wheel 13is journaled on a spindle 14 on the adjustable bearing-plate 8. A vertical shaft 15 is journaled in the bearingplate 7, and the lower end thereof is stepped in a bearing 16, which is secured to the stand- V At the upper end of the said shaft is a sprocket-wheel 17. At the lower end thereof i's a beveled gear-wheel 18. A horizontally-disposed power-shaft 19 is journaled in the bearing 16 and is also journaled in abearlingv20A at the upper end of a standard 21, ,which is disposed opposite the standard 5.

Said power-shafthas a beveled gear-wheel 22, vwhichengages the gear 18, and is further provided with a pulley 23. Power may be applied to the shaft 19 by any suitable means and from any suitable motor-as a horsepower, steam-engine, or the like; but in the drawings I show a crank 24, by which the said pulley 23 may be turned, and thereby caused to turn said shaft-19.v

A longitudinally-disposed guide-bar 25 is 'supporteddirectlyl opposite the front side of the b ar 6, at asuitable distance therefrom, by Thereby arunway 27 is formed between the bar 6 and the guidebar 25. An endless sprocket-chain, which I will hereinafter refer to as a carrier-chain 28, vconnects the sprocket-wheels 13 17. The front lead of the said carrier-chain travels in the runway 27 in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The rear lead of said carrier-chain travels in rear of the bar 6. Certain of thelinks of the-carrior-chain at suitable distances apart are provided on their upper sides with cross-heads 29, which project-in opposite directions thereoperation.

from. The forward extending ends of the said cross-heads are formed into hooks 30, and the said hooks extend across the runway 27 and bear and travel upon the guide-bar 25. The oppositely-extended ends of said cross-heads bear and travel upon the rear side of the bar 6. A plate 31 forms a housing which covers the upper side of the front lead of the carrier-chain and is secured on the bar 6. The said housing-plate also forms a guideway for the rearward extended ends of the cross-heads 29 on the front lead of the carrier-chain. The rear lead of the carrierchain is prevented from sagging by'a horizontally-disposed supporting-bar 32, which is supported by spanners 33, that connect it to the bar 6.

A horizontally-disposed shaft 34 is journaled in a bearing 35 on the standard 4 and in a bearing 36 on a standard 37, which is disposed opposite said standard 4. On the said shaft, directly below the runway 27, is secured a revoluble stripper 38, which comprises a pair of disks 39, which are suitably spaced apart and are provided with peripheral projecting spurs 40. On the outer sides of the said disks 39,at suitable distances apart, are.cylindrical casings 4l. Portions of the disks 39 intermediate of the spurs 40 are outturned, as at 42, to form the outer ends of caps of said casings. The latter are secured to said caps by screws 43. In the inner ends of said cylindrical casings are notches 44 and in the upper ends thereof on theirinner sides are openings 45. Coiled springs 46 are disposed in said cylindrical casings on said screws 43. Theirlower ends are outturned, as at 47, and disposed in appropriate openings 44, and their upper ends are inturned, as at 48, and caused to project into the space between the disks 39 and disposed in the openings 45. The said projecting ends 48 of the springs form the strippers, which when the shaft 34 is in rotation strip the leaves from the stalk of a plant that is passed between the said disks 39. The stripping-fingers 48 are by the springs 46 permitted to yield when they encounter an obstruction which they cannot overcome, and are hence prevented from being broken when the machine is in The springs 46 may be adjusted to any desired tension by disposing their projecting inner ends 47 in appropriate adjusting-openings 44. At a short distance in advance of the revoluble stripper are a pair of depending guides 49, which converge downwardly, as shown, and are respectively attached to the bar 6 and the guide-bar 25. It will be understood that said guides 49 are disposed in the same vertical plane with the revoluble stripper and the runway 27.

A supportingarm 50, which may be of any suitable form, is attached to the standard 5 and serves to support a bundle of cane at the feed end of the machine. A similar arm 5l is secured to the standard 3 and disposed transversely under the runway 27 in a position to receive the stalks of the cane after the leaves have been stripped therefrom and the heads cut oif by the header-knife 11.

The operation of myinvention is as follows: The power-shaft 19 being revolved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, power is conveyed from the pulley 23 to the stripper 39 by a crossed be1t 52, which connects said pulley 23 to a pulley 53 on said shaft 34. Hence the revoluble stripper is caused to rotate in a reverse direction to the movement of the front lead of the carrierchain, as is indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. The stalks of the cane are placed manually one at a time in an upright position in the feed end of the runway 27 (indicated at 54 in Fig. 2) and in such a position that the portion of the said stalks just below the heads orseed ends thereof shall be caused to be engaged by the hooked cross-heads on the front lead of the carrier-chain, the latter in coaction with the guide-bar 25 serving to carry the cane with the chain through the guideway 27. A loop 49a in advance of guides 49 serves to keep the cane up and in proper position as it approaches the revoluble stripper, the guides 49 causing the stalks to be fed between the disks of the revoluble stripper and drawn longitudinally between the same. The spurs 40 of the disks of the revoluble stripper strip olf the leaves that project at an angle from the stalks, and the spring stripping-fingers serve to effectually strip 0E the leaves that lie closely7 to and are parallel with the stalks as the latter are drawn over the revoluble stripper between the disks thereof. The stripped stalks are carried by the carrier-chain to the heading-knife,the latter serving to cut the heads from the stripped stalks, as will be understood. The stalks after being thus stripped and headed drop by gravity on the arm 51 and accumulate therein to form bundles, which are manually removed therefrom. The adjustable bearing-plate 8 enables the carrier-chain to be kept at the requisite tension.

A flange-bar 55 is placed on the inner side of the bar 25 and overhangs the runway 27. This bar is of suitable shape in cross-section and prevents the stalks from being jerked too far through the runway by the revoluble stripper. Fig. 15 clearly shows this flangebar.

Having thus described myinvention, I claimf 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with stripping mechanism, of a frame-bar, a guide-bar supported at a distance from the same and coacting therewith to form a xed vertical runway open at both ends, archbars connecting the frame-bar with the guide-bar, and an endless carrierchain having one lead disposed in said run- IIO way, said chain being provided with links having cross-heads that extend across said runway.

2. In a machine of the' class described, the combination with stripping mechanism, of a frame-bar, avguide-bar supported at a distance from the same and coacting therewith to forma fixed vertical runway open,Y at both ends, an endless carrier-chain having one lead disposed in said runway, said chain being provided with links having cross-heads supported upon the frame-bar and guide-bar.

3. In a machine ofthe class described, the combination with stripping-mechanism, ofa frame-bar, a guide-bar supported at a distance from the latter and coacting therewith to forma fixed runway open at both ends, an endless carrier-chain having one lead disposed in said runway, and a flangebar upon the inner side of the guide-bar and coacting with the endless chain to pinch and grasp the cane that is to be operatedlupon.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with stripping mechanism, of a frame-bar, a guide-bar supported at a dis tance from the latter and coacting therewith to form a fixed runway open fat both ends, an endless carrier-chain having one lead disposed in said runway and provided with links having cross-heads supported upon the frame-bar and guide-bar, and a guide forming a housing engaging the inner ends of said cross-heads.

5. In a machine of theclass described, the combination with stripping mechanism, of a frame-bar, a guide-bar supported at a distance from the same and coacting therewith to form a fixed vertical runwayopen at both ends, anendless carrier-chain having one lead disposed in said runway and guiding means depending from the frame-bar and the guide-bar in front of the stripping mechanism.

6. In a machine ofthe class described, a xed runway open at both ends, a carrierchain having one lead disposed in said run- Way and provided with links havingcrossheads extending across said runway, a flangebar interiorly upon the latter and coacting with the carrier-chain to grasp the cane to be operated upon, rotary stripping mechanism disposed below the runway, and guiding means disposed in front of the stripping mechanism.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a fixed runway and means for carrying the cane through the same, of a rotary stripping-wheel disposed below said runway and comprising a pair of disks having radially-extending stripping-spurs and laterally-extending stripping-springs, the latter extending across the space between the two disks.

S. In a machine ofV the class described, a

stripping device comprising a pair of disksA having radially-extending spurs and laterally-extending bent portions, tubular casings secured to the bent portions of said disks and having notched ends, and coiled springs mounted within said casings and having their inner ends fitted adjustably in the notches at the inner ends of said casings and having their outer ends extended across the space between the disks to form iiexible stripping elements.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a fixed runway, an endless movable carrierhaving one lead disposed in said runway, and provided with means to engage the cane, guides depending from said runway, on opposite sides thereof, and a revoluble stripper disposed in operative relation to said runway, guides and carrier, substantially as described.

lO. In combination with` a fixed runway, open at its receiving and discharge ends,'a traveling carrier, coacting with the runway, and having means extending across the runway, to grasp the cane at the receivingend of the runway and release the cane at the discharge end thereof, and a stripper, across which the cane is drawn as it travels through the runway, substantially as described.

l1. In combination with a fixed runway, open at its receiving and discharge ends, a traveling carrier, coacting with the runway 95 and having means, extending across the runway, to grasp the cane at the receiving end of the runway and release the cane at the discharge end thereof, a stripper, across which the cane is drawn as it travels through the loo runway, and a header eective subsequently to the stripper, to head the cane, substantially as described.

12. Incombination with means to convey and guide the cane, a revoluble stripper comprising a pair of disks, spaced apart and stripping-fingers operating between and carried by said disks, substantially as described.

13. In combination with means to convey and guidethe cane, a revoluble stripper com- I 1o prising a pair of disks spaced apart and spring stripping-fingers disposed in the space between said disks, substantially as described.

14. In vcombination with means to convey and guide the cane, a revoluble stripper com- I 15 prising a pair of disks spaced apart and having peripheral spurs and stripping-iingers disposed in the space between said disks, substantially as described. 1

15. In a machine of the class described, the 12o combination of a stripper, means to grasp the cane and carry the same obliquely across the stripper, the latter acting to strip the blades from the stalks, and a header to subsequently cut off the heads of the cane, substantially as x25 described.

16. Ina machine of the class described, the combination of a fixed runway, a stripper'disposed below the same, means to carry the cane through the runway and across the stripper, 13o

and a cutter to cut off the heads of the carrier, to cut off the heads of the cane, sub- 1o stripped cane, substantially as described. stantially as described,

17. In a machine of the class described, the In testimony that I claim the foregoing as combination of a fixed runway, an endless i my own I have hereto a'xed my signature in traveling carrier to engage and carry stalks the presence of two witnesses.

of cane, a stripper to and from which the HARVEY H. MOHLER.- stalks of cane are carried by said carrier and Witnesses: a heading-knife extending outwardly past WM. E. CRISSEY,

the path of said carrier and coactingwith said WM. H. MOHLER. 

